Republicans Have Beef With Donald Trump's New Import Plan

John Roberts Notes Trump's White House Ballroom Construction Can Continue.

Key points

• The cost of beef has steadily climbed and was $6.885 per pound in July, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St.
• A June 2026 report from the lobbying group Coalition for a Prosperous America discovered numerous reasons the rate has rose, including that the number of U.S.
• According to the latest inflation report from the Department of Labor, the beef and veal index is up 9.4 percent over the 12 months ending in July.
• Trump created affordability worries a cornerstone of his 2024 campaign, and high inflation supported propel his return to the White House.
• President Donald Trump's announcement on Friday that his administration would waive tariffs on imported beef to lower costs for Americans is facing criticism from some Republicans.

President Donald Trump's announcement on Friday that his administration would waive tariffs on imported beef to lower costs for Americans is facing criticism from some Republicans. Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that he "concluded a deal to substantially lower the price of ground beef." "As we work to rebuild this herd and help our ranchers, for the next 90 days, the United States will allow up to 300, 000 metric tons of product for ground beef to be imported with no out of quota tariff, " he wrote. "We have a commitment that this beef will be sold at 25 percent below current market prices." The announcement comes as the Trump administration has struggled to bring down the cost of beef. It has remained high over recent years against the backdrop of drought, a tight supply of cattle and the consistent demand for beef products. Trump created affordability worries a cornerstone of his 2024 campaign, and high inflation supported propel his return to the White House. But 19 months into his second term, Americans are continuing to grapple with high costs and inflation. As Democrats have polling leads over Republicans in key races, it's become a political sore spot for the administration ahead of this year's midterm elections. The president has additionally implemented 50 percent tariffs on Brazil, a major exporter of beef. But some Republicans expressed reservations concerning the plan and its impacts on American ranchers. They argued that the administration should be focusing on helping domestic cattlemen, rather than helping promote foreign beef. Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email. Trump Beef Plan Sparks GOP Criticism A number of prominent Republicans have spoken out against Trump's beef plan. Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana wrote on X that he has advised Trump against this for a year "because American ranchers have been struggling against the packer monopoly for decades, and this will further harm them – most of whom are MAGA Republicans." "The President's heart is in the right place on wanting lower prices for the American people, and beef prices have been impacted by the Mexican screwworm, " he wrote. "But the reality is this action will create it more challenging for American ranchers to rebuild our herd and bring rates down for the American residents. As they have been hit financially with high cost of fertilizer and diesel from Trump's war with Iran." "The Trump admins attempt to lower the cost of beef is American beef LAST and foreign beef FIRST, " she wrote, and most importantly, this will harm our ranching families who feed the nation." Former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, once a close ally of Trump but who has emerged as a leading critic, wrote on X that American producers "will be undercut by foreign imported beef. Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky called it a "slap in the face to American cattlemen & consumers." "Dumping foreign beef in U.S. Markets can temporarily lower rates but it won't incentivize American farmers to raise more beef. Bring back Country Of Origin Labels & pass my PRIME Act, " he wrote on X. Conservative commentator Tomi Lahren wrote on X: "You know what won't support American ranchers? Importing a bunch of foreign beef." Lahren additionally wrote in a separate post that foreign beef should be labeled. "This is like throwing a bunch of cheap SHEIN s*** into Nordstrom and refusing to brand it as such, " she wrote. Meriwether Farms, a Wyoming farm that has been supportive of Trump, wrote on X that Trump's announcement is a "betrayal." Cattlemen Group Opposes Trump Action Trump's announcement additionally faced backlash from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA). It stated in an official note it is "disappointed" in the news. "America's cattle producers share the goal of keeping groceries affordable for consumers, flooding the market with government-subsidized, below-market beef is not the way to rebuild the American cattle herd, " NCBA Chief Executive Officer Colin Woodall wrote in an official note. "Cattle markets have already turned sharply lower this morning, to the detriment of farmers and ranchers." Beef Costs Surge The cost of beef has steadily climbed and was $6.885 per pound in July, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. For comparison, it was $6.254 per pound in July 2025 and $4.388 per pound in July 2021, according to the Fed. Meanwhile, a June 2026 report from the lobbying group Coalition for a Prosperous America discovered numerous reasons the rate has rose, including that the number of U.S. Cattle had fallen to 86.2 million, the smallest in 75 years. As the report notes, additionally, there are more than 450, 000 fewer cattle ranchers than in 1997. It additionally identified that drought has created the crisis worse, with 75 percent of the beef cow herd being raised in drought. "That is the trap, " the report remarked. "The country needs more cattle, but the rebuild is slow and cautious, not a full expansion. Ranchers have to create breeding decisions years before the extra beef reaches consumers. Keeping more heifers today means carrying more animals through drought, feed costs, interest costs, and market risk before seeing the payoff." The report advocated for a "solid, reliable policy signal that the United States wants more domestic cattle production, " rather than "another round of imports." According to the latest inflation report from the Department of Labor, the beef and veal index is up 9.4 percent over the 12 months ending in July. The most recent meat cost reading from the USDA's Economic Research Service identified that Americans are now paying more than $13 per pound for beef steaks-up from $11.88 in July 2025-as the cost of ground beef has come close to doubling compared with a decade ago. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gabe Whisnant and Dave Siminoff.

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Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that he "concluded a deal to substantially lower the price of ground beef."

"As we work to rebuild this herd and help our ranchers, for the next 90 days, the United States will allow up to 300, 000 metric tons of product for ground beef to be imported with no out of quota tariff, " he wrote. "We have a commitment that this beef will be sold at 25 percent below current market prices."

For context, the announcement comes as the Trump administration has struggled to bring down the cost of beef. It has remained high over recent years against the backdrop of drought, a tight supply of cattle and the consistent demand for beef products.

Trump created affordability worries a cornerstone of his 2024 campaign, and high inflation supported propel his return to the White House. But 19 months into his second term, Americans are continuing to grapple with high costs and inflation. As Democrats have polling leads over Republicans in key races, it's become a political sore spot for the administration ahead of this year's midterm elections.

For context, the president has additionally implemented 50 percent tariffs on Brazil, a major exporter of beef.

But some Republicans expressed reservations concerning the plan and its impacts on American ranchers. They argued that the administration should be focusing on helping domestic cattlemen, rather than helping promote foreign beef. Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email. Trump Beef Plan Sparks GOP Criticism. Notably, a number of prominent Republicans have spoken out against Trump's beef plan.

Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana wrote on X that he has advised Trump against this for a year "because American ranchers have been struggling against the packer monopoly for decades, and this will further harm them – most of whom are MAGA Republicans."

"The President's heart is in the right place on wanting lower prices for the American people, and beef prices have been impacted by the Mexican screwworm, " he wrote. "But the reality is this action will create it more challenging for American ranchers to rebuild our herd and bring rates down for the American residents. And most importantly, this will harm our ranching families who feed the nation."

Former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, once a close ally of Trump but who has emerged as a leading critic, wrote on X that American producers "will be undercut by foreign imported beef, as they have been hit financially with high cost of fertilizer and diesel from Trump's war with Iran."

"The Trump admins attempt to lower the cost of beef is American beef LAST and foreign beef FIRST, " she wrote.

Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky called it a "slap in the face to American cattlemen & consumers."

"Dumping foreign beef in U.S. Markets can temporarily lower rates but it won't incentivize American farmers to raise more beef. Bring back Country Of Origin Labels & pass my PRIME Act, " he wrote on X.

Conservative commentator Tomi Lahren wrote on X: "You know what won't support American ranchers? Importing a bunch of foreign beef."

Lahren additionally wrote in a separate post that foreign beef should be labeled.

"This is like throwing a bunch of cheap SHEIN s*** into Nordstrom and refusing to brand it as such, " she wrote.

Meriwether Farms, a Wyoming farm that has been supportive of Trump, wrote on X that Trump's announcement is a "betrayal."

Trump's announcement additionally faced backlash from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA). It stated in an official note it is "disappointed" in the news.

"America's cattle producers share the goal of keeping groceries affordable for consumers, flooding the market with government-subsidized, below-market beef is not the way to rebuild the American cattle herd, " NCBA Chief Executive Officer Colin Woodall wrote in an official note. "Cattle markets have already turned sharply lower this morning, to the detriment of farmers and ranchers."

For context, the cost of beef has steadily climbed and was $6.885 per pound in July, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. For comparison, it was $6.254 per pound in July 2025 and $4.388 per pound in July 2021, according to the Fed.

Meanwhile, a June 2026 report from the lobbying group Coalition for a Prosperous America discovered numerous reasons the rate has rose, including that the number of U.S. Cattle had fallen to 86.2 million, the smallest in 75 years. As the report notes, additionally, there are more than 450, 000 fewer cattle ranchers than in 1997.

It additionally identified that drought has created the crisis worse, with 75 percent of the beef cow herd being raised in drought.

"That is the trap, " the report remarked. "The country needs more cattle, but the rebuild is slow and cautious, not a full expansion. Ranchers have to create breeding decisions years before the extra beef reaches consumers. Keeping more heifers today means carrying more animals through drought, feed costs, interest costs, and market risk before seeing the payoff."

Notably, the report advocated for a "strong, reliable policy signal that the United States wants more domestic cattle production, " rather than "another round of imports."

According to the latest inflation report from the Department of Labor, the beef and veal index is up 9.4 percent over the 12 months ending in July. The most recent meat cost reading from the USDA's Economic Research Service identified that Americans are now paying more than $13 per pound for beef steaks-up from $11.88 in July 2025-as the cost of ground beef has come close to doubling compared with a decade ago. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gabe Whisnant and Dave Siminoff.

For now, republicans Have Beef With Donald Trump& #039; s New Import Plan remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.